French by the Flemings at Courtray._ Sec. 57.--_Of what lineage
were the present counts and lords of Flanders._ Sec. 58.--_How the king
of France reassembled his host, and with all his forces attacked the
Flemings, and returned to France with little honour._

Sec. 59.--_How Folcieri da Calvoli, Podesta of Florence, caused certain
citizens of the White party to be beheaded._

[Sidenote: 1302 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Purg. xiv. 58-66.]

In the said year 1302, Folcieri da Calvoli of Romagna, a fierce and
cruel man, had been made Podesta of Florence, by the influence of the
leaders of the Black party. Now the said leaders lived in great
trepidation, forasmuch as the White and Ghibelline party was very
powerful in Florence, and the exiles were plotting every day in
treaty with their friends which had remained in Florence. Wherefore
the said Folcieri suddenly caused certain citizens of the White party
and Ghibellines to be taken; which were, M. Betto Gherardini, and
Masino de' Cavalcanti, and Donato and Tegghia his brother, of the
Finiguerra da Sammartino, and Nuccio Coderini de' Galigai, which was
but half-witted, and Tignoso de' Macci; and at the petition of M.
Musciatto Franzesi, which was among the lords of the city, there were
to have been taken certain heads of the house of the Abati his
enemies, but hearing this they fled and departed from Florence, and
never afterwards were citizens thereof. And a certain sexton of the
Calze was among the prisoners. They were charged with plotting
treachery in the city with the exiled Whites; and whether guilty or
not, were made to confess under torture that they were going to betray
the city, and to give up certain gates to the Whites and Ghibellines;
but the said Tignoso de' Macci, through weight of flesh, died under
the cord. All the other aforesaid prisoners he judged, and caused them
to be beheaded, and all of the house of the Abati he condemned as
rebels, and destroyed their goods, whence the city was greatly
disturbed, and there followed many evils and scandals. And in the said
year there was much scarcity of victuals, and grain was sold in
Florence at twenty-two shillings the bushel, reckoning fifty-one
shillings to a golden florin.

Sec. 60.--_How the White party and the Ghibelline refugees from Florence
came to Puliciano and departed thence in discomfiture._

[Sidenote: 1302 A.D.]

In the said year, in the month of March, the Ghibelline and White
refugees from Florenc